Spring Cleaning
by landiddy
Summary: Last year he skipped over it. This year, Kagami wasn't so lucky. With Kuroko's help, he manages to clean his house for the upcoming year, but it's slow going and a bumpy ride getting there. It doesn't help much that Kuroko is his normal weird self, gets stuck in the closet, and then refuses to go sleep in the bed offered up to him. KagaKuro MxM light language and some limes later
1. Chapter 1

_**AN:** Spring cleaning. That's always fun, right? Yes~ 4 chapters- a comparatively short story, for me. KagaKuro? Yes. Rating... I guess I'll try my hands at some citrus. Marking it M for limes at the end. Also! I'm new to this fandom. I feel odd using words like 'youth' and 'bluenette' and... those.. things... We'll see how this goes._

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Kuroko couldn't keep himself from sighing as he pushed through to the next room, the _last _room. "You really are very lazy, Kagami-kun," he said, getting the bedroom door opened just wide enough to squeeze through. How did Kagami do it every night? A frown hit him when the smaller boy remembered that there had been a pile of clothes near the couch earlier. He wouldn't be surprised if that Bakagami was sleeping out there because of this.

"I just have a lot of stuff," Kagami said in his defense. He was more or less stuck in the hallway until Kuroko cleared some space behind the door, so he didn't bother trying to force his way in, sucking his teeth instead and looking away when he got a cold gaze in return through the crack in the door.

"That is why we do spring cleaning," Kuroko reminded him, pushing away the pile of clothes and potato chip bags that was keeping Kagami out. "It is also why we try not to skip it every other year... Kagami-kun?"

Kagami had still been brooding when Kuroko called his name. Really, it was just because he had a lot of stuff. He might have cringed from the look he got though, had Kuroko been a bigger guy. Rather than argue, the redhead just frowned his discontent and sidled through the door as best as he could. His shirt snagged on the doorknob, but he tugged it free with hardly any effort.

"It's not that bad," he said, taking a look around. Kagami felt thin tendrils of dread sliding down his back as soon as the words left him. Ever expressionless, it took a keen eye to pull any emotion out of Kuroko's face. But when you could find it, it was intense and unsettling. It was kind of creepy, actually, when he let any kind of emotion leak through the cracks of that mask.

"It is more than 'that bad,'" Kuroko said with a slightly strained sigh. Kagami... he needed a new friend to do this kind of thing with. Helping out was one thing, but this... This had to go past the common stretches of friendship. Teenager or not, living _alone _or not, this kind of mess was unacceptable. Clothes should not be balled up and tangled together in corners and under desks and behind doors. And snack bags and wrappers should be in a trashcan. And magazines should not be on the bed. And just... No one should live like this. Though, he supposed Kagami wasn't _actually_ living in his room at the time.

Said idiot took a second look at the mess, silently agreeing. There was a reason he was sleeping on the couch, after all... Maybe this was asking too much. "Let's take a break," he suggested, running a hand through his choppy hair and back. "It's the last room, right? And we did everything else in one go."

"I get the feeling that Kagami-kun won't want to start back up again." Kuroko leveled him another chilling gaze, but it didn't seem to have the same effect as before. He huffed out a quick puff of disapproval before raising a hand. He curled all but his little finger. "Promise."

Was he joking? He had to be joking. Kagami was pretty sure he was joking, but Kuroko's unwavering hand was proof enough that he was absolutely serious. With a resigned groan, the taller teen wrapped his pinky around the one patiently waiting. For a second. Just a second. They were in the apartment alone, and it was _still _embarrassing. It didn't help much that his teammate felt the need to point that out.

"Kagami-kun, you're turning red." His head tipped to the side a bit in confusion at the response he got. "It's worse now."

"Shut up." Kagami grunted and let his hand slip away, sliding through the door again before Kuroko could call him out on his embarrassment. Or, heaven forbid, start asking why. Too damn blunt. Always. And doing stupid kid stuff and making him feel like a baby all the time. Freaking... Kuroko.

Kagami figured he'd be better off just occupying himself. Seeing as how all of his snacks were now wrappers left over in his room apparently, he started pulling things down to actually cook something. It was late enough for dinner, and they'd done a lot since practice so... so yeah. Cooking wasn't out of the question, right? Right.

"Should I be helping?"

Kagami thanked every god there ever was that there was only rice in the bag he'd torn open way too fast. A whole year he'd been dealing with this crap, and it still got him sometimes. He took a few seconds to catch his breath, checking to see how much of his rice could be saved, happy to see that... most of it was still pretty good. He had to wash it anyhow.

"I'm fine, thanks," he sighed, waving a hand behind him in a dismissive manner. "Just.. you go sit. Besides, eggs aren't something you should be eating for dinner."

"Kagami-kun is making dinner?" He almost sounded surprised.

"Well it's not like I'm forcing you to eat it," Kagami grumbled. He didn't like the tone the blue-haired boy's question carried. Like it was some weird thing to be doing.

"I'll eat it." It was said as if he'd been asked or something. And Kuroko didn't seem to be leaving like he was told to, leaning up against the unoccupied counter space instead. "What is it?"

Kagami gave a ragged sigh and got back to what he was doing. Kuroko could stay there so long as he wasn't scolding him again. "It's just curry. I didn't think you'd be here so long, so it's nothing fancy."

"Why would it have to be fancy?"

Kagami wanted to give a sarcastic remark, but he didn't think it'd be all that biting more than.. factual. Kuroko didn't seem like the sort of guy to have guests often, so he kind of doubted his little friend thought to jazz things up when company was over. Or that normal people did that. He settled on a lamer response. "Just because."

"That is a terrible reason."

"Shut up. You're getting free food, aren't you?" When a few seconds had passed in silence, Kagami allowed himself to smirk down into his pot. It was short-lived though, giving way to a pained grimace when something piercing attacked his side.

"Cleaning Kagami's house makes this a payment," Kuroko said as sternly as he could before he pulled his hand away. "It is not free; it is compensation."

Kagami rubbed at his sore side, swearing through his teeth when the area proved to be more tender than he initially thought. "That worried about being called a free-loader, huh?"

"_You _are a free-loader," Kuroko chastised, the tiniest of frowns crinkling his brow and tugging at he corners of his mouth. "You dragged me down here to clean your house because you were too lazy to do it... It's shameful, you know."

"I didn't _drag_-"

"And it's very late," Kuroko added. He didn't even give Kagami half a breath to retort. "Kagami-kun is very lucky my parents are out of town this week."

That last tidbit was what sparked Kagami's interest. "The whole week?"

"Yes."

"... You aren't just eating boiled eggs, are you?" the redhead asked warily, almost not even wanting to receive an answer. He breathed a sigh of relief when Kuroko shook his head.

"Of course not. My mother left some sandwiches and microwavables."

Kagami had to fight every fiber of his being not to bury his face in his hands when he heard that. "That's not.. I'm pretty sure that kind of stuff is only good for lunch, Kuroko."

"I don't eat much."

Well shit, everyone knew that. But sandwiches and eggs were hardly a way to live. Kagami let his absurd notion settle for a bit before he decided that maybe it was alright. Maybe. Still, he didn't say anything, and Kuroko didn't seem to mind. It wasn't like he was a chatterbox or anything like that. Quiet was his element. Kagami had his suspicions that his little friend was secretly nocturnal, even. He seemed the type- half dead all day, barely spoke. After a few minutes, he was so lost in his musings, that he had to shake himself free when Kuroko called his name. He was a little surprised to see that they'd moved to the couch and were eating already.

"Watchu shay?" he asked. He didn't know his mouth was full until he got an odd look. Kagami just worked on clearing that problem before he said anything else. "Sorry, what was it?"

"Kagami-kun is awfully quiet," the blue boy said with a shrug. Sure, he wasn't much for talk, but he was used to hearing it around him at least.

"Uh.. Sorry?" The taller teen scrunched his face in thought. He'd kind of zoned out, so he didn't have anything to talk about really. He bit at the inside of his lip when he remembered what he'd been contemplating before his odd reverie took him away. "Hey," he called.

"Yes?" Kuroko had already finished and set his things down on the table in front of them.

Kagami figured he'd just spit it out when Kuroko's weird eyes were turned to actually look at him, waiting for the next question. Manliness aside, Kagami had to avert his gaze to the television that wasn't even on before he said anything else. "Why don't you come over for dinner until your parents get back?"

". . . Really?"

"I don't mean it in a weird way," Kagami muttered. He set his things down and crossed his arms, trying to give off a bigger air than he honestly had at the moment. "But the team needs you, ya know. It'd be bad if you passed out because you're just eating bread and eggs and... shakes."

"Shakes aren't eaten."

Kagami sighed in irritation and actually turned back to scowl at his slighter teammate. "That's not-"

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay," the smaller of the two repeated. "I'll come have dinner with you if that's what Kagami-kun wants."

Kagami pursed his lips, a heat crawling up to his ears and down his chest. "Don't say it like that, moron!"

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko observed softly, pointing up at his friend's face, "you're turning red again."

"Sh-shut up!"

"It's not a fever, right?" Kuroko put a hand to his own forehead and leaned over to touch at Kagami's with the other. "We still have to finish, you know."

"I know that!" Kagami growled, lest he squeak trying to speak like a normal person. He brushed Kuroko's hand away as nicely as he could while still looking like he meant it. "Geez you're so... you."

Kuroko looked at him, blinked once. He opened his mouth to say something then shut it, scrunching his face up. He tried again. "What else am I supposed to be?" He really couldn't work away the pout that was fighting for a seat on his bottom lip.

Kagami had had enough. He got up, took his plate back to the kitchen, and that was that. He flinched when he heard his name from the other room. "Watch a movie or something!" he nearly barked. He just wanted to finish his food, finish his cleaning, and get through the night without anymore of... Kuroko and his kiddie-weirdness. Strange though it was, he still felt something trying to crawl over his face. It wasn't a blush though. He was damn sure of that. Regardless of whether or not Kuroko was weirdly adorable, he absolutely wasn't making Kagami Taiga blush. Ridiculous.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagami groaned, crawling out from under his desk. Honestly, that was something Kuroko should have been doing... Not that Kuroko should be cleaning his house, but he _was_ there. It only made sense. Thinking as much, Kagami took a quick scan of his room. It looked better, and some things were put away, but Kuroko was missing. Like... really missing; not his bullshit 'oh, no I'm over here' nonsense. Seirin's ace dragged his fingers through his hair a few times trying to find the smaller male to no avail.

"Kuroko?"

"Closet," was the very curt response he got. Kagami raised a brow when he found the door on the other side of the room. He'd forgotten he had a closet behind that particular pile of... stuff. It was a lot of stuff.

"Are you stuck or something?" the redhead asked with a chuckle. He stopped when he got an answer. He really wasn't expecting a yes. "Oh... okay, hold on." Kagami braced himself on either side of the opening, bending down under the few things that were actually hanging, and leaned into the dark space. He frowned, not really able to see much of anything other than vague lumps of what he was sure were just shoes and more clothes. His mother sent too many clothes. He could go months without washing anything... Which was what had happened and led to this horrible mess.

"Kagami-kun." There wasn't any malice in there, but Kagami heard an urgency and a sternness that made him squint to find wherever the hell Kuroko had stuffed himself away. Deciding that his eyes weren't really meant for the dark, he growled under his breath and just threw an arm inside- slowly though so he didn't beat the hell out of Kuroko if he'd managed to reach him. He heard a squeak and pulled, but it just got him a shirt. Irritated, he tried again, this time making sure he actually felt a _person_ before tugging. It was harder this time, though not by much, and he sighed, content with himself when he managed to drag Kuroko out by the elbow.

That contentment went away far too quickly though. Kuroko was there, sure, but his oddly vacant blue eyes were staring right at his tall friend, eyebrows upturned in an uncomfortable knitting. He tried to clear his throat, but it was a miserably feeble attempt, and it only brought a color to his cheeks. Understandable since he was there topless and missing a sock, no doubt eaten by the monster closet.

"Kagami-kun..."

"Ah.. yeah! Yeah... what?"

"Could you let me go now please?" Kuroko finally shifted his gaze away. "It's rather uncomfortable."

Kagami mumbled something like sorry and let him go. Getting back to his full height, unsure of where to look. Showers after practice were one thing. It was different when you weren't... supposed to be missing clothes. Especially alone. That made it maybe eight times worse.

"Could you return my shirt, please?"

"Oh.. ah.. I don't..." Kagami glanced at the dreaded closet and sighed. It was gone, he was sure. "I lost it, sorry."

"Ah."

There was a silence, and Kagami, having run out of places to avert his gaze, let it fall to rest on the room's only other living occupant (though that bit was debatable when considering the stuff they'd found in the corners). Kuroko was busy with a troubled look sat upon him. He wasn't worried in the slightest about putting it away, his state of undress undoubtedly occupying his mind. As if to prove that point, Kuroko rubbed at his arm, a shiver having gone through him. He stifled a groan, and Kagami had to bite at the side of his lip when he was face to face with a desperate blue boy a few feet in front of him.

"Wh.. what?"

"Could I borrow one please?"

Kagami might have winced, but he was better than that. Instead, he nodded, climbing over the bed and disappearing back to the front room. That's where he kept his _cleaner_ clothes. He made sure he grabbed a shirt that was mostly wrinkle free and still smelled like dryer sheets. That had to mean it was clean... he was pretty sure. If it wasn't, Kuroko would probably tell him. He brought it back to the bedroom with him, a bit perturbed to see his little teammate sitting on the bed. He wasn't lounging or anything, but he was there, waiting expectantly. Kagami just tossed the shirt at him, not even responding to the 'thank you' he got.

Hearing an irritated sigh though, he looked over, almost wishing he hadn't. Kagami knew that his clothes were... more than likely way too big for Kuroko, but he wasn't expecting them to be hanging off of his shoulders. Er.. _shoulder,_ rather. It was just the one, but it was just short of a tent being draped over his thin frame. When he stood up, it fell to mid-thigh, and Kuroko made an indignant noise in the back of his throat. This was less than satisfactory.

"Let's just finish please," he said, a curt nod tacked onto the end. "I'd like to find my shirt and get home to sleep."

"Ah.. yeah, sure." Kagami went back to his.. whatevers, working on the other side of the room. He'd finished getting all of the crud from under his desk, and he even cleaned up the surface some. The drawers were in order, and all of his things were packed away in the proper bins besides. He stretched his back, proud of his work. His fingertips almost brushed the ceiling, but he wasn't going to jump for it, letting out a sigh when he dropped his arms. He had an honest smile pasted in place when he turned around for praise of his well put in effort.

Kuroko was on the bed again, with a shirt this time. His shorts though... those were gone. "Did you finish?" he asked, like he wasn't doing anything weird. "It looks good."

Kagami tried a few times to thank him, to say anything, but it just wasn't working. He set his jaw and turned his head to the window, taking great notice of the high moon outside. "Where did your shorts go?"

"Oh.." Kuroko looked down at his knees. He could see his feet on the floor past them, still missing one sock. "Well, Kagami-kun's shirt is so large that it kept getting tangled, and I was tripping around too much. They're right here though," he added, patting at the folded article of clothing.

"Did you find your shirt?"

"I won't be touching that closet again, no," Kuroko said with a bereft sigh. "I'm afraid it's gone until Kagami-kun finds it for me."

The redhead grunted at that, scratching at the back of his shaggy mop. It was a closet. He could just close the door on that one, and he fully intended to. In fact... He went over and did that as soon as the thought had been processed. There. Now his room was clean, and they were officially done. As for Kuroko's shirt...

"I won't be getting it back will I?"

Kagami sent him an apologetic smile, but it wasn't really sincere. He honestly had no interest in searching for it now that things were 'finished.' Kuroko sighed, dropping his chin into his hand. That was that then. No shirt for him. He took one more look around the room and got to his feet though, sliding his shorts back on in a swift, practiced motion.

"Well, I'll be going then," he said, making his way over to the door. "Thank you for the dinner."

It took him a second, but Kagami caught on soon enough. "Hey, hey, hey!" he called, stumbling out of his room and into the hallway. He shocked, just for a moment, when he saw Kuroko was honestly working on getting his sneakers into place, still with just one sock and a far too large shirt.

"Do you need something?"

"Idiot," Kagami huffed, a hand over his face in disbelief. He pointed to the glass door of the balcony. "Do you see that? It's already passed ten thirty," he explained. "You're half dressed and no doubt about to fall over."

"I'm tired, yes."

Kagami shook his head and steadied himself against the couch. "Don't go getting jumped. Just stay here; I don't feel like walking you home."

There was a moment of consideration, but Kuroko was sliding his remaining shoe back on once it had passed. "Impossible."

"Wha... Why?!"

Kuroko stood up, just showing once again how unfit he was to be walking home in the middle of the night. "All of Kagami-kun's things are dirty," he explained. "I apologize, but I will not wash your sheets just so I can sleep somewhere."

Kagami gaped for a minute, sputtered for a few seconds after, and then, "I have more than one set of linens!" He knew what was coming as soon as he saw a small finger coming up. "Yes, my face is red! You piss me off sometimes; get over it!"

Kuroko didn't waver though, looking back and forth between the door and his host. He'd just helped clean the whole place- he really didn't want to be there any longer than he had to. Then again, Kagami did have a point. They'd had a double regimen that day, and it took everything he had to get up the stairs to Kagami's apartment.

A frown pinched his face as the blue-haired boy leaned down to slide his shoes back off. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay," Kuroko repeated. He left his shoes at the door again, dropping gracefully onto the couch. "Just a blanket is fine. I don't need anything else."

Kagami sucked his teeth. "Yes you do." He retreated back down the hall, returning with a clean sheet, a fresh blanket, and a pillow. "Move," was the only warning he gave before dumping his bundle onto the couch. His guest had enough sense to roll away to the floor, making sure he got an arm out so he didn't hurt himself. Kagami hopped over the couch easily and started to outfit the cushions for someone to sleep on. Satisfied, he claimed the area for himself, stretching out before pulling the blanket over his body. He had to scrunch a bit so his feet didn't dangle, but that was fine. He slept in a ball most of the night anyway.

"Kagami-kun." He sounded annoyed.

"I changed the sheets," the redhead explained, rolling over so that his face to towards the back of the sofa. "These are from the bed. The ones in there are clean. Go sleep... And hit the lights for me when you go."

Kuroko didn't move though, stubbornly plopping himself down on the corner that Kagami wasn't occupying. He pulled his feet up to res on the cusion with him, folding his arms over his knees. "I will not take Kagami-kun's bed away."

The big oaf just snorted and kicked at him. "You just cleaned my whole house, Kuroko. Go sleep in the bed."

"I will not."

Kagami rolled his eyes under their lids, but he was pretty sure Kuroko wouldn't hold out. He was already dead on his feet. It couldn't be too long before he had to resign.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagami woke up, irritated more than anything, when he heard a squeak come out of his couch. Of course it wasn't the damn cushions. No, that was too much to ask. It'd been well over three hours, and Kuroko was still there holding his vigil down near Kagami's feet. It wouldn't have been so bad if said redhead hadn't actually fallen asleep, but he had. And now he was awake and annoyed for two reasons. One, he couldn't stretch out like he wanted because Kuroko was still there. And two, Kuroko was still there. When Kagami Taiga offers up hospitality, you damn well take it- especially after helping out so much. He was seriously offended, and his pride was getting the better of him. Who in their right mind takes a dirty couch over a clean bed?

Well apparently, one Kuroko Tetsuya did.

Kagami debated on just leaving him there, letting him catch a cold with his no blanket and his one sock. His conscience got the better of him though, just as he was drifting off to sleep. Well, it had more to do with he fact that Kuroko had finally fallen over atop his legs rather than Kagami's need to be chivalrous, but those are just details. Reluctantly, Kagami hiked his knees up a bit higher, pushing himself up into a sitting position so he could swing his legs over the side of the couch and sit properly. He stayed there for a moment to let the stars and fuzziness drain out of his vision and got up. Catching and supporting his weight with his right hand on the back of the sofa, he leaned down in an attempt just scoop Kuroko up and be done with it.

If he weren't dead tired, he might have cheered, it went so well. He had to push a bit to get away from the couch, but hell, he was standing. Apparently, the shift in orientation was enough to jolt his tiny friend, and Kagami found arms wrapped loosely around his neck. You'd think he was a little kid the way Kuroko reacted to being carried, head turned to the side with limp legs and everything. Like he had some instinct to just use his arms to stay upright. Like he was a baby or something.

Kagami was thankful for the fact that Kuroko wasn't conscious to tell him that his face had gone red again. It was a nice respite.

He sighed tiredly when the bedroom door gave way easily under his hand, and he caught sight of the bed. Two more seconds and he could go back to sleep. It would be perfect. Peace and quiet and a clean house- even if he was out on the sofa using dirty sheets. But again, those were just details. And in the morning he could boast about how Kuroko _did_ give in and head off to bed like he was _told_. It was gonna be great.

He would have liked to think so at least. Of course, nothing could ever go smoothly for him, so, when he tried to set the smaller basketballer down, he really shouldn't have been surprised to find some reluctance. Unraveling and coming off of his neck? Of course not. Transferring to the bed peacefully? Never. Even in his sleep Kuroko was as steadfast as ever.

How annoying.

Defeated, since he didn't plan on breaking his neck letting his friend hang there, Kagami took a seat on the bed, brooding. He glared at nothing in particular seeing as how it was dark and there was really only air in front of him. The top of Kuroko's head just made it to his collarbone, so even that wasn't in the way. What a wonderfully fun evening he was having. Staring down the darkness with a teenage boy slung around his neck. Awesome.

He was so busy feeling sorry for himself that Kagami hadn't noticed a soft sound interrupting his space. It took a few minutes, but he had to hunch his shoulders to keep his chuckles down when he realized what it was. Who would have thought Kuroko, of all people, snored? Admittedly it was really quiet, maybe heavy breathing at best for a normal person, but Kagami was close enough to hear the telltale signs of uneven breaths and tiny snorts.

"Cute," he said, almost meaning it. Much like seeing uncommon displays of emotion, it was still kind of weird to hear something like that coming from Kuroko. But it was still maybe cute. Regardless, Kagami was tired and wanted to get the hell to bed sometime soon.

He tried leaning sideways to let Kuroko slip off, but it showed no success. He did try tugging him loose, but that didn't work either. After a few more minutes of maneuvering, Kagami was ready to throw in the towel. He leaned over the bed, bracing himself against it with one foot, and tried to reach behind and lift Kuroko's arms free. The keyword there is 'tried.' Tried because everything stopped: arm, breathing, heartbeat, everything.

Fingers. There were fingers all knotted up in his hair like some monkey that just didn't want to let go. To make matters worse, he got a pitiful plea.

"Kagami-kun..." That was Kuroko alright. Kagami didn't say it, that was for sure. "Don't.."

The redhead's gaze cut away to the side, even if Kuroko couldn't see him, Kagami still didn't want to look right at that moment.

"You're face," the pale boy hanging off of him all but sighed as he tried to cuddle up better. "It's red again..."

If that tiny little blurb wasn't so horribly garbled to prove that Kuroko was still asleep, Kagami might have just kicked him out- late night be damned. But, as it was, Kuroko was still asleep and still, from what he could tell at least, trying to snuggle. And then his hands came down making Kagami's hold more like a hug than carrying a dead body the way he was before.

Nope.

Nope.

Nn-ope. That was enough. Kagami was more than ready to wash his hands of this whole ordeal. Kuroko could wander around barefoot for all he cared anymore. Barefoot and half dressed and half awake and half... a person. Whatever. He was not going to sit around and be molested under the pretense of sleep. Especially when he was shit-tired himself. He got up, fully intending to collect Kuroko's things and put him out, but the force he stood with almost sent him tumbling. He didn't know if it was dumb luck or freak coincidence, but Kuroko had finally let go and slid to the bed. Either that, or Kagami really did get up way too fast and knocked him loose.

Well, it worked at least. He was free. Proud of himself, or the cosmos or whoever did it, he stood there, appreciating his hard work when what was probably his most disturbing thought of the night passed him.

_I should tuck him in._

"But I damn sure will not," he answered aloud. The hell kind of thinking was that? Stupid, that's what. Then again, Kuroko did look kind of... not safe. He could have punched himself for even letting that slip through. But he wasn't going to do that. Instead, he just decided to make quick work of the shameful act, pulling the blanket out from under the boy on the bed like an old dining room trick and flinging it over him. It was crooked, and half of the blanket was on the floor, but it served its purpose.

And he was going to sleep.

Kagami turned to leave, an odd state of bliss trying to touch him before it was all ripped away in a gut-dropping slide. Blankets on hardwood floors... He wouldn't do that again. That aside though, he did his best to turn while he still could and catch his fall. It landed him on the bed rather than the floor and on his side rather than his ass. It also got him an unamused look from some very bleary blue eyes.

Kagami sucked his teeth. All that work... "Sorry," he mumbled, getting up. He didn't realize there were legs under him until the pressure was gone. Sitting once more, he went to rise, just ready to get back to the couch and sleep for the rest of the night. Maybe part of the morning even.

Of course, he couldn't have that. Rather than wrench away, he sat back down on the edge of the bed, remaining when the slender hand that called him back still hadn't released the hem of his shirt. Kagami rubbed at one of his eyes with the heel of his palm. "What is it?" he nearly croaked. He waited for an answer, but he didn't think he was gonna get one. Turning around, he got his confirmation that no, he wasn't.

Asleep again, only, this time, he had a grip on Kagami's shirt. Well that wasn't too bad. It would be easy enough to tug that free. Yeah. Though, as he got up to do just that, there was a tug in the _opposite_ direction. Apparently, Kuroko thought it was a good time to roll over and force Kagami to go along with it. At least that time he didn't land on top of his teammate. His knees had enough grace to be raised above the other boy's legs. It wouldn't be hard to get out of that one.

He was proven wrong though when something dropped across his chest. In the morning, Kagami was going to make sure Kuroko got his lumps for keeping him up and putting him through this crap. At the moment, he was tired of this little game, and he just wanted to go.

"Kuroko," he called, trying to push his arm away. "Wake up. Get off so I can go."

He heard something- a mumble, a groan, a something- and then a word. "No."

Kagami made sure he heard that right and then couldn't help raising an eyebrow in the dark. "No?"

"No," the smaller boy repeated with another soft sigh. As if to prove his point, his fingers closed around the cloth of Kagami's shirt again. Fabulous.

"You know what?" he all but shrieked, his voice cracking slightly. "Fine. Fine! I give up! Here." He pushed Kuroko's hand away, determined not to let it bother him. Kagami's bed wasn't huge, but it was big enough for two people and then some. And Kuroko was small. He just tossed his shirt- so he wasn't grabbed at anymore- crossed his arms, turned his back on his guest, and took a spot as far away as he could get. It was the cold, blanket-less edge of the bed, but dammit, he was going to get to sleep if it killed him.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN:** This one is longer than the others, but I didn't want to split it again haha. Here's the end!_

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Again, Kagami was awoken with the awful realization that he couldn't move properly. Again, it was because of some little idiot who wouldn't listen to him. He cursed to himself, looking down at the messy hair pressed against his arm, pinning him down. His cheeks ruddied at the sight since he couldn't really look anywhere else, and he wasn't too thrilled about that. Kuroko was there, hair splayed all across Kagami's arm, his body tucked into a ball that fit just inside the curve his larger teammate's bulk made, like it was just for him. Barely chapped lips were parted, pulling and pushing air in and out with those dainty snores Kagami had picked up on earlier. He was used to seeing a calm face, but this one was serene with soft, dark lashes brushing over round cheeks, twitching every now and then as a dream played on behind those soft pink lids.

Stop. Stop. Stop it.

First, he wanted to know when the hell he rolled over for this to even have happened. He didn't move much during the night, and when he did it was just to scrunch or stretch. Secondly, he wanted to know just why Kuroko felt the need to completely invade his space with his tiny puffs of breath and his soft sighs and his tousled mop all over the place and tickling his chest and arm and gods abound what was he even thinking?

Tired. He was just really, really tired. That was all. And he wasn't going to get any of the answers he wanted just sitting there, either.

As it were, he needed to get unstuck and back on the couch. Preferably five minutes ago. Kagami put his free hand on Kuroko's shoulder to hold him in place while he worked his trapped arm free. It wasn't he best of ideas since it left him open to attack, which he noticed just a few seconds too late. Again, he was being hugged more or less against his will. The main difference, also the one that made the situation most difficult, was the fact that Kuroko's arms were _under_ his. The fuck was he supposed to do about that?

A frown set squarely on his mouth, the redhead tried to pry the smaller boy off of him. With the positioning, it just wasn't going to work. Kagami drew in a breath, letting it out in heavy dismay before moving his hold from Kuroko's shoulders and down to his hips instead. He flared up for a second- just a second!- when he didn't feel the familiar.. polyester...? nylon...? ... jersey...? Shorts! Basketball shorts. They weren't there, dammit. Instead, he got a dreadful grip on boxers- boxers! He wanted to die when he finally pushed, and his hands just slipped down some with them. Too small for his own good, Kuroko was.

"Okay," he said to no one but himself in a harsh whisper. His hands came back, raised in a mock surrender. "Okay! I get it. Tell me what I did, and I promise it'll never happen again! Just let me get out of this? Please?" He waited for a few seconds and gave up. No one was going to help him. If they were, it would have happened a long time ago. Assholes. All of them.

So he had to help himself. Okay... Okay, he was good at that. Yeah! This shouldn't be too hard, and it wasn't like it could get any more awkward, so it was all uphill from there, right? Right. Absolutely right.

Kagami wouldn't try his luck at hips again, so he just kind of.. reached over his own back in an attempt to unhook Kuroko's hands. If he could get them unclasped, he'd be free to go. Just walk out of that room and chalk it up to a bad dream later. And it was going to be awesome. If he could just reach... His chest pushed forward in a ploy to get his target closer to his reaching hand, and he almost had it... Just an inch or two more...

And he stopped. His thoughts left him. He forgot how to breathe, how to move, and he was stuck there. Lips were the last thing he needed on his chest right now, but hey! There they were! Happily uninvited and invading his space. He wished he'd kept his shirt on. Being tugged at was better than this bullshit.

Kagami heard his name and let his breath out in a rush, dropping his arm to his side again and remembering that, yes, he _could_ move his own body to get out of Kuroko's kiss radius. Still bristled in his embarrassment though, he didn't say anything, waiting for something else to hit him. Something besides fingers and lips and hair.

It was words again. His name again. He wanted to throw up.

"Kagami-kun," the little jailer called, quietly, as if he was going to be overheard. It almost sounded like he was irritated, too. That wasn't good. That wasn't good at all.

Kagami actually answered this time since it probably wasn't going to stop until he did. "What," was all he had up his sleeve. It didn't even sound like a question.

"Please, don't be mean to me."

Kagami frowned. He almost didn't care that Kuroko had snuggled up against him again. That was a demand. A strangely coherent demand. Snoring was one thing, but he seriously doubted Kuroko talked in his sleep.

"Kuroko."

"Yes?"

Well. That answered that question. Oddly, it didn't make Kagami feel any better. If anything , it annoyed him. "Get off. I want to go back to sleep."

"So sleep."

"I can't like this!" He'd meant it to sound more sinister, but it just came out all full of desperation.

"Kagami-kun didn't have any issues before," the blue boy pointed out, his tone still airy and half-awake. "Did something happen?"

"_You_ happened!" He managed to at least hiss that one out, but it was probably do to the fact that he was turning into a tomato again. "I can't.. It's impossible to sleep like this!"

"I think it's quite nice." To drive his statement home, Kuroko got as close as humanly possible. He pulled his knees up a little higher and sank right into the divot Kagami made, the larger of the two just about swallowing him, involuntarily mind you, with his body. It made no sense. Neither did the fact that he was being touched.

"Kagami-kun?"

He managed to croak out something like a response. That's what random hands on your chest did to your voice. They took it and broke it. At least they weren't all wrapped around him anymore; that was a plus. Kind of.

"You're burning up." Kuroko spread his fingers just to make sure he wasn't making the area hot by being there. A shocked sound got away from him when he found that it was just a uniform temperature. He made sure to check a few extra places, too. "Are you _sure _it isn't a fever?"

"I-I'm sure, yes!" Kagami stammered. Now that he was.. mostly free, he was intent on leaving. Kuroko was all balled up, so there was nothing _he _could do about it. Now was the only chance he'd seen in a long time, and he was taking it. Kagami was moving his arm behind him to roll away, but he was stopped yet again. Not by a tug, not by words, no. No. Apparently, a certain ghost of a boy thought it was appropriate to kiss a poor soul in Kagami's situation. It was on the cheek, a few good centimeters from the corner of his mouth, but it was still there. It still happened.

"Is that better?" Kuroko asked. He'd pushed himself back some to see Kagami's face for himself. It didn't really look better.

"No that's not better!" On the court that might have been a roar. Never having had such a thing happen to him though, Kagami's 'shout' came out in a strained whisper.

"Strange." Blue eyes started to swirl with slight worry as Kuroko thought things over. He sat up with his chin in his hand, leaving Kagami on the bed. "Mother's kisses always helped when I had a fever..."

"I don't _have_ a damn-!"

"Try this." He dropped back down, turning to support himself with both arms- one against the bed and the other bent over Kagami's chest. Didn't seem to be much help since Kuroko was still falling.

Maybe being red all the time had overheated his brain because Kagami didn't make an attempt to move, roll, look away, anything. He just sat there and let it happen. The small hand that had been using the bed for support had found its way into his hair again, giving the support job solely to the one that was folded over his chest. And that one was a little too happy to be there as far as Kagami was concerned. That, however, was not the most pressing matter.

No, that prize would have to have been taken by the obscenely close proximity Kuroko had put himself into in another area. The one on his face. Under his nose. His mouth.

Kuroko was there, and his lips were a bit more chapped than Kagami remembered seeing them earlier. Maybe snoring made that happen faster? Maybe. But that wasn't the point! He didn't even get a chance to retaliate before Kuroko was up again. Or at least off of his face, at any rate.

"How's that?" The smaller boy answered his own question with a tiny 'oh dear' upon taking in the sight that was supposed to be Kagami. Oh, he was red, but that wasn't anything new. His eyes were wide though, and it looked like he might crack his face with the stiff line he'd set his mouth in. He didn't look to be breathing either. "Kagami-kun?"

Kagami heard him, but he couldn't respond for some reason.

"Kagami-kun."

He actually tried to say something this time, but it still wouldn't work.

"Kagami-kun, you have to _breathe,_" Kuroko reminded him. He climbed up to straddle his waist and pushed down on the taller male's chest in hopes of helping him out. He let out a tiny sigh of relief to see that the Bakagami was finally setting free whatever breath he'd been holding. It must have been a big one because he was breathing like he'd been ready to drown.

Kuroko rolled his eyes and leaned forward, getting as firm of a grip as he could on either side of Kagami's head. When he got a startled crimson gaze in his sights, he clarified. "I said breathe, not hyperventilate." He patted at a red cheek when its owner seemed to understand. Sitting back up, he used his hands to brace himself against the broad chest below him. "Are you sure you're alright? Because mouth-to-mouth seems to be a very bad option if something else goes wrong. Should I call someone?"

"Just stop trying to help me, please." Kagami didn't have it in him to try and yell, and he didn't have it in him to push the guy off... He really, really just wanted to go back to sleep and forget about everything. The best way he knew to communicate that though was to just cross his arms over his eyes. No weird Kuroko stares, no weird Kuroko thoughts. Just darkness and, hopefully, silence.

He groaned when his arms were all too easily slipped up and over his head though, dropping with an audible flop onto the pillow behind him. He made a face that could have been mistaken for a pout, but no one would ever call it that. Not to his face anyway.

"Why are you pouting, Kagami-kun?"

... Almost no one? Kagami figured it made more sense to give him a straight answer though. "You're terrorizing me," he sighed, sucking his teeth instead when he tried to roll onto his side and couldn't. "I just want to go to sleep, Kuroko."

"Is that it?"

"You say it like you've been making it easy," Kagami scoffed.

Kuroko shrugged. "I can help," he said, the mask of boredom that'd been trying to slip back in place halting its takeover. "Only because Kagami-kun says I've been causing trouble though," he added after a beat.

"No," the redhead moaned. He managed to get one of his hands free, it wasn't really difficult, and run it over his face. "No more help, Kuroko, damn. You're killing me."

Kuroko just shook his head. He made a grab Kagami's rebellious hand back, and he wrapped their pinky fingers together again. "It's good help. I promise."

Kagami rolled his eyes, doing what he could to beat back the color that was trying to warm his face again. "Just... sure. Okay. Whatever," he sighed in defeat. If it got Kuroko to shut up, that was great. If it honestly helped? Even better. He grimaced though when, instead of just letting go, he felt much more slender fingers force their way to twine with his. He probably should have put up more of a fight.

"That's an awful face," Kuroko said, and it got Kagami to slide his gaze over from whatever nothingness he was staring at on the side of the bed.

He was going to argue, to tell him to just cut the crap and let him go back to the couch, but a tickle at his nose made him stop. Kagami squirmed a bit uncomfortably when he felt what shouldn't have been a familiar pair of lips press against his jaw, shocks of blue hair brushing up against his neck and cheek while Kuroko made his way down to his chin.

He had to admit, it was nicer the second time around when he got to his mouth. At least he was expecting it that time, and it didn't come flying at him from the darkness. It wasn't as clumsy either, well placed and gentle. Being so close, Kagami got a fleeting whiff of vanilla, no doubt a permanent scent on his shake-addicted shadow. He was trying to catch that smell again when something wet pressed against his lip, sending a tiny jolt through him that disappeared into his gut. That little pressure at his mouth didn't go anywhere, and Kagami squeezed his eyes shut in preparation, feeling it just slipping through his flimsy blockade anyway.

That simple passage though was enough to ease his mind, and his muscles relaxed. He hadn't noticed how tense he'd gotten, the simple release making him feel weightless for a moment. His breath hitched when he was reminded of what he'd been freaking out about to begin with.

Kuroko had taken the tension release as a green light to proceed. He freed Kagami's other hand, the one held against the pillow, and trailed his own over a brawny shoulder, stopping to gently feel over the area where it met up with Kagami's neck. The redhead let out something like a gasp in return, and Kuroko moved his tongue the rest of the way past his partner's lips, pressing against the other fleshy muscle he found there. He felt Kagami's try to slink away, but that just made him chase after it with that much more gusto.

His hand continued down its path, rubbing and squeezing every now and then as it moved over hard, smooth muscle and leaving a trail of tingling skin in it's wake. He did something with is wrist and made a small swirl using his nails against Kagami's side before flattening his hand over the area. The quick switch in sensations made him gulp, and he was fiercely red again since his involuntary spasm had Kuroko moaning into his mouth. Who knew your tongue moved so much when you swallowed?

Regardless, he was glad when the slighter boy lifted his face away for a moment, and he was surprised to see that Kuroko looked to be more affected by all of this than he was. Kagami knew he was blushing, whatever, he'd been doing that all day, but the rosiest of pinks had scrawled itself all the way across Kuroko's face, sliding up to the tips of his ears. His breath came quickly and puffed out against Kagami's, the scent of curry and vanilla flooding into his brain.

He blinked in surprise when he was descended on again with more fervor, lips moving against his in not as calm a manner. The hand that held his tightened a bit when Kuroko flattened out a little more against his host. Kagami... Kagami still had another hand, didn't he? He flexed his fingers to check, and he would have smirked if his lips weren't wrapped up at he moment. Since it _was_ free, it was probably about time to put it to use. He tried to be discreet, but he doubted it mattered with how his guest was... moving. He didn't know what word to use for what Kuroko was doing. Something like a cross between a snake and a snail that had to go pee.

He was going to put a stop to that. Kagami let his hand fall lightly onto Kuroko's back first, making sure he didn't mind the contact. Well, if a squeak meant anything, he figured it might as well be 'okay.' Still, he got a stern gaze despite the blush, an unspoken question asking just what it was he was trying to do. Kuroko must not have liked being 'ignored' because he lifted up to his knees some, moving his hand again. Kagami felt his face go eight shades deeper when a deft finger and thumb pinched at a nipple.

He frowned, trying to decide on an appropriate act of retaliation. Remembering that his hands were fairly larger than his friend's, Kagami let his free hand keep going. The hand on his chest became lighter and lighter he further back he went. A nice, smug smile was in order when Kuroko actually started looking a bit worried. One cute look was not going to stop his mission though, and Kagami chuckled when his teammate's whole face flashed crimson once his fingers struck against that waistband he'd hated so much earlier. They could have been best friends now, though the acquaintance was short-lived. Time was not to be wasted, and the redhead slipped right past that feeble defense, sliding his hand snugly over one of Kuroko's cheeks.

He gave an experimental squeeze. The gasp he got sent shocks through him once again. His ears felt hot looking up at someone with that kind of face... mouth all open and eyes all wide and... surprised and embarrassed and... and... Shit, he had to do it again. That time, Kuroko bit at his lip to try and keep any sounds to himself, but it only served to put them through a muffled filter.

Yeah... Yeah, seriously? Screw holding hands; holding hands could go die. Kagami worked his fingers free and made quick work of setting his other hand opposite the one already in place. His breath caught when an alarmed gaze was cast down towards him, and the redhead sent a rough squeeze through both hands, pulling just a bit to topple Kuroko near enough to kiss again. He drank in the little sounds the blue boy made when Kagami's teeth grazed his lip, when he pinched at him unexpectedly, when he tugged at his tongue with his own. It set a fire in his abdomen, and he couldn't stay on his back any longer.

Kagami sat up, obviously taking Kuroko with him. The smaller ten slipped down into his lap easily, setting his legs on either side of the redhead's hips. Raised knees behind him kept Kuroko from falling over backwards, but it was clear he wasn't feeling as confident in his new position. Well... what was he supposed to do about that?

A quick kiss was placed on his forehead, and before he could ask why, Kagami was pulling the borrowed shirt up over his head. He looked like a startled rabbit sitting there now, cornered with no escape. Well... it was his own damn fault. But... Kagami wasn't out to scare him. He was as gentle as he knew how to be, taking his round face in both his hands. That was what you did right? That's what they did on tv, so what the hell? He was already turning red again as he dipped down to give Kuroko one of he nice kisses they'd shared earlier. The soft and non-intrusive kind. The kind that didn't move around. The embarrassing one? The one in all the chick-flicks? Yeah, that's it.

... Kagami could only stand so much lovey-dovey, so he had to come off it. Thankfully though, what he'd done was enough, and his partner was looking more so flustered than frightened.

Kuroko cleared his throat. "Kagami-kun-"

"Don't even start," the taller of the two sighed. He'd heard it fifty times already. "Just... shut up, okay?"

"Okay."

Kagami nodded. He wasn't sure why, but he did it. He planted another kiss on Kuroko's forehead. And then his temple... cheek... jaw... He had to lift his face up again to get at his lips, but it was easy, and, once he got the idea, Kuroko kept his face upturned to give Kagami's hands free roam again. They started out flattened on the small chest, sliding down and curving over his sides. Kuroko had to hold himself up with his hands against much more muscular pecks, so he couldn't do too much moving himself. Instead, he focused on where Kagami's hands went, shivering when they ghosted unknowingly over what were normally ticklish spots.

He almost squeaked again when fingers found that same waistband once more. They felt oddly cold against the skin there, but he wasn't complaining. A sharp inhale came through his nose they finally did dip past that flimsy barrier, but he wasn't about to be outdone. Kuroko scooted forward a bit to better support himself so that he could move his hands.

Clearly, he was well past taking his time, and Kagami noticed all too easily. He stilled for a moment to adjust, and unfamiliar grip on his girth. It was lighter, way lighter. Softer too, but he kinda guessed Kuroko wouldn't have the normal callouses you found on your average basketball player. Actually...

He couldn't help but chuckle. "You've got some girly hands, Kuroko." A quick squeeze shut him up, but he was still grinning like the moron he was. It made sense to follow suit, so he did, careful not to be as rough as he normally was by himself. He heard a gasp, but it didn't sound.. bad. Last he checked not-bad meant good, so what the hell? He wasn't going to _squeeze_, but he did start moving, albeit slowly. He felt awkward with his other hand just kind of... there, so he moved it to help steady Kuroko, taking hold of his hip.

Apparently that was the right thing to do because it got him chest kisses again. They made him feel a little dainty, but who cares. They were nice, and it wasn't like anyone was watching. Well, kisses aside, he had a job to do.

A job which probably would have been a lot easier if Kuroko hadn't ever started moving his hand.

Ever.

It was like... like someone gave his little guy a silk robe and a cup of tea, that's how nice it felt. Did a little bit of skin really make that much difference? He leaned back some to get a look at Kuroko, averting his eyes almost instantly. Apparently, it was just a 'someone-else-is-doing-this-for-me' sort of thing.

It really wasn't more than a minute or two before Kuroko was collapsed onto his chest panting and just barely getting out those kisses he was trying way too hard to give. Kagami could feel the flush from his face pressed into his skin, and he could hear his little puffs of breath again. The boy's knees were starting to shake at his sides, and Kagami wasn't too sure if Kuroko was actually going to live through this.

"H-hey, Kuroko?"

He took a few breaths before saying anything. "Kagami-kun, please."

"Y-yeah?"

"Not now."

Sure. Okay. That was... He should have expected that. As it was, Kagami just nodded and kept at his pace. He thought he was going to die when his hand slipped, and Kuroko was moaning into his skin. He just got a grip again and went back at it. That, however, didn't seem to suffice though. Kuroko had taken to squeezing and sliding over the uppermost portions of his own excitement, and Kagami was slipping every now and then. It shouldn't be that easy to break his concentration. He should...

He was gonna have to think about that later because right then, a high-pitched squeak, hardly distinguishable from any of the others, was the only warning he got before there was distinctively warm liquid all over his hand. He waited for a few moments, making sure that Kuroko _did_ live through the ordeal. Once he was sure his partner wasn't going to keel over, Kagami shifted so that he could wrap his clean hand around the small back.

"You..." He felt like gelatin sitting out on the summer sidewalk. "You can stop," he finally managed to say. His voice was a bit broken up from obvious embarrassment, but he got the message out there. He tried to swallow some of it down when he more so felt rather than saw Kuroko shake his head.

Honestly... it went too fast for him to even realize what the fuck. There were two hands, and some words that made him feel like he'd eaten a swarm of butterflies and... And that was it. He'd never had a climax hit him so quickly, and it shamed him a little. But then he remembered just how nice Kuroko's hands felt and how breathless his voice was and he had to stop remembering before something happened.

"Ah... Kagami-kun?"

He was going to respond, but a sudden _splat_ and a god-awful sensation that came with it, washing up both his sides, sent him into a disgusted stupor. "D-don't wipe it there!" he choked, grabbing at Kuroko's sides as well and pushing him out to arm's length. He got a rather unhappy face in return before he felt the slow drip on his own hand. And... Oh... This got messy.

Kagami brooded for just a second before sighing and looking around for the shirt he'd tossed earlier. "You just.. Go take a shower. I can wait."

Kuroko nodded, more than happy to take him up on the offer. He was happy to find clean tools stocked in the bathroom. He wasn't expecting that. Putting those things aside, he did take a shower. He was never one for leisurely washing, so it couldn't have been more than five minutes. It was only the one spot, after all. He got dressed, just putting his shorts back on and disregarding his soiled boxers. He opted to leave the shirt too. It was just too cumbersome.

Satisfied, he went back to send Kagami off to bathe, surprised when he didn't see him in the bedroom at all. He frowned and turned, headed down the hall and back the way he came. He passed the bathroom though, proceeding to the living room, and... of course.

Just... Of course.

He was there. Passed out on the couch and already drooling like an idiot. Kuroko sighed, unsure of whether he was disgusted or oddly delighted at the sight. After a few moments of inward debate, he decided it didn't really matter. He was tired.

The blue-haired boy climbed over the back of the couch to wedge himself in place. If he was on the inside, he couldn't get kicked off. Not that the Bakagami had any right to send him back now anyway. The bed sheets weren't much cleaner than the ones on the couch. That'd be stupid.

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_**AN:** Trying not to be overtly graphic? It's actually really freaking hard. I have a new-found respect for all you softcore writers out there._


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